


In the Dark of the Night

by lilaussieauthor, theauthenticme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Betty is struggling, Betty needs help, Choni help her, F/F, Farm rescue, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, soft choni, they all escaped, toni is a good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-18 01:44:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18976195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaussieauthor/pseuds/lilaussieauthor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: Cheryl and Toni support Betty after she escapes from the farm. Spoilers from 3x21 and 3x22.





	In the Dark of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> This veers slightly away from canon as we started writing this before 3x22 aired. It's a little darker than what was shown on the show, with trigger warnings for mentions of non-con sexual activity (although nothing is confirmed.) 
> 
> In terms of how it relates to canon, the core 4's final game of G+G did not happen in this one.
> 
> This one gets a little dark, poor Betty is really struggling.

Cheryl and Toni were both recovering well from their time at the farm. They were so glad Betty had helped them to see what was really going on, Cheryl rescuing Toni and then Toni going back for the love of her life and her friends.

It has been almost a week since they'd all left the farm. Betty was now temporarily staying with Toni and Cheryl at Thistlehouse. She barely spoke, concerning both Cheryl and Toni greatly.

She didn't want to see Jughead at alll and barely moved off the spot on the couch or her bed that she now occupied. She jumped when anyone even came close to getting near her, her wide eyes clearly anxious and on alert.

Cheryl stopped Toni in the kitchen a few days after they’d all returned home. “TT? I’m worried about cousin Betty... I think this has all affected her a lot more than we thought.”

"Id be lying if I said I wasn't worried too" Toni confessed quietly. "What the hell happened to her?"

“No idea" Cheryl sighed. “Edgar did some _messed up_ stuff, but I think... I think hers was possibly one of the worst.”

"She looks terrified all the time. She's barely eaten in days and I don't think she's slept either. I was thinking one of us should try and talk to her."

“I think so too" Cheryl nodded. “Although... neither of us are really that close with her are we?"

"No were not. But maybe that makes it easier to get through to her..I don't know. I mean.. she and I have been getting to know each other more recently, especially since you joined the farm and we were trying to figure a way to get you out."

“Maybe... ugh, I don’t know.." Cheryl frowned. “Maybe.. both of us? Or... would that make her feel attacked? Toni... caring for people is _hard_.” She smiled fondly at the shorter girl. “Why did I think this was a good idea?”

"Because you have a heart of gold underneath your HBIC exterior" Toni pulled her close and kissed her softly. "It might be too much if we're both there..but we can't let her go on like this."

“Okay" Cheryl groaned. “Well... do you wanna talk to her? Or shall I?”

"I'll do it..Betty and I have come to somewhat of an understanding recently.."

"Alright" Cheryl smiled, pecking Toni's lips quickly. "You're the best."

"Let's see if I can get through to her before you start saying that" she chuckled.

Cheryl grinned. "You'd still be the best, even if you don't get through to her."

"Thanks babe.." Toni smiled.

Cheryl watched as Toni left the room with a grin, wondering for the umpteenth time how she ended up with a girlfriend as amazing as Miss Antoinette Topaz.

...

"Betty?" Toni asked softly, knocking on the door to her bedroom. The blonde was sitting against the headboard, staring blankly at a book in her lap. "Can I come in?"

Betty jumped when she heard Toni knock her door. "Oh uh..h..hi Toni.."

"Hi" Toni smiled gently, coming in and sitting on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Betty tensed up as Toni got closer. "I'm fine" she muttered quickly.

"You sure?" Toni asked quietly. "Do you want anything?"

"I don't need anything" she mumbled defensively, wrapping her arms around her legs as she pulled them close to her chest. "I..im fine.."

Toni's heart broke, seeing Betty so clearly broken. "Hey," she whispered, reaching out a hand cautiously. "I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?"

Betty watched Toni's hand anxiously, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She couldn't trust anyone anymore, nothing and no one felt safe.

"Hey, hey," Toni breathed again, stopping her hand as she looked at Betty's panicked eyes. "Can I touch you?"

Betty felt like she was going to throw up, but there was a kindness in Toni's eyes so she nodded mutely, her body trembling.

"It's okay," Toni whispered. "You're okay. You're safe here okay? Cher and I are gonna keep you safe."

She moved over slowly, her hands finally making contact with Betty's bare arms and rubbing them up and down soothingly. "Nothing can hurt you here okay?"

"O..okay.." she mumbled, her eyes closing for a second.

"Good.." Toni breathed. "Good... you're doing so well... being so strong." Her heart was breaking over and over, seeing just how much damage the farm had inflicted on Betty. All the while, she and Cheryl had been _convinced_ that Edgar was doing the right thing, that he cared for them...but seeing Betty here and broken, proved exactly how wrong they'd been. "Let it out," she whispered quietly. "You've been through so much... let it go."

"I don't know if I can" she stumbled over her words with a sob.

"You can.." Toni soothed, stopping her rubs and wrapping her arms around the blonde girl. "You can, let it out, you're okay. I won't hurt you... just let it out."

Betty let out another sob, Toni's arms around her the first thing that had made her feel anything close to safe for a long time. "I..he.." she felt a wave of sickness rush over her.

Toni's eyes widened. "Are you gonna throw up?" She asked, ready to call for Cheryl to help get Betty to the bathroom, to do anything for the broken girl she was holding.

Betty swallowed hard but shook her head, her body shaking in Toni's arms.

"Alright," Toni said softly. "Are you cold?" She resumed rubbing her hands up and down Betty's back.

Betty shook her head. "I..I feel like...I can't feel _anything_ anymore."

Toni sighed. "I know... I know." She pulled the blanket up anyway, around Betty's shoulders and then tucked it in. "Shh... you're okay. You're okay." She wanted Betty to open up but also didn't want to push the blonde's already restricted boundaries. "Talk to me..." she prompted gently.

"I don't know if I can" she sobbed again, feeling like if she said anything she'd break completely.

Toni nodded. "Okay" she whispered. "You talk when you're ready, alright? But Betty... it's okay to be broken, you have to know that."

"I..I.." she began, starting to open up a little despite her reservations. "I have these.." she buried her face in her hands. "I don't know..hazy memories? I don't know if it happened or if I imagined it.."

"It's all a little bit like that huh?" Toni mused. "Blurry. On the brink of reality... I think that was Edgar's speciality. You wanna tell me about them? No pressure - you talk if you want to."

"I don't want to upset you.." Betty started. "They're not _nice_ memories.."

"Believe me," Toni smiled humourlessly. "I've had my fair share of bad memories. Hit me... I can deal with it, I promise. I'll tell you if I get uncomfortable. Okay?"

"A..are you sure? They're awful Toni."

"I'm sure," Toni promised, her heart growing sadder as she began to understand just how much Betty had been through - and the worst of it was, she was starting to get the idea that the memories that haunted the hollow girl in her arms hadn't just been sourced from the farm - no, she was sure they ran much deeper than that.

"Okay.." Betty stammered, talking a deep breath. "I uh..stuff happened to me in there. I think.."

"Okay," Toni said simply, urging the other girl to continue.

"Stuff I couldn't control or stop" tears streamed down her face.

"Hey... hey" Toni said quickly, bringing her hands up to wipe Betty's tears away. "Shh, you're okay. It's okay... none of this is your fault, alright? They did - messed up stuff to us in there... we couldn't help it... it's okay."

"I think.. oh god.." she sobbed. "I don't know if he.." she felt sick again. " _forced_ himself..on..on..'

"Oh _Betty_ " Toni whispered. "Oh, god..." She was suddenly glad it was her and not Cheryl who'd talked to her. She pulled Betty, almost roughly, into her arms fully, letting the blonde girl cry steadily into her chest. "Oh, I'm so sorry..." she was horrified at the thought of what Betty was implying.

"What if I..if he.." she sobbed against Toni.

"Shh... breathe," Toni murmured. "I hope he didn't... but we can get it checked if you're really worried okay?" She sighed, rubbing Betty's back slowly as her eyes looked on sadly.

"Ch..checked? No..no..I can't do that.." she sobbed.

"It's alright, we don't have to do it right now.." Toni assured her. "It can be another time... or not at all, we'll see. Alright?"

Betty nodded, although she didn't think it could ever be okay again. She couldn't even say it out loud..what she thought had happened.

"I promise" Toni whispered. She could see the worry in Betty's eyes and wanted nothing more than to vanquish it. "What can I do to help right now?"

"I..I don't know" she shrugged. "There's a knot in my stomach that I can't get rid of. My head is pounding.." she felt horrible.

Toni held her close. “I’ll get you some aspirin... maybe a bath will help, or... wanna watch a movie with me and Cher later? Take your mind off it...”

"Maybe.." Betty shrugged, her face staring blankly ahead of her again. "I..I don't want a bath though.." she hadn't had one since she gad been rescued. Her skin crawled at the thought of even taking her clothes off.

“Alright,” Toni murmured gently. “Shh, you don't have to.” She was saddened to see just how much the farm had broken Betty, how much damaged they’d inflicted on her.

"I don't know how this is ever going to get better Toni" she sighed.

“I know,” Toni whispered. “But I promise you, it will. Please believe me.”

Betty shook her head. "I'm having a hard time believe that after all he.he.." she sobbed again. "After everything."

“I know, Betty, I know,” Toni sighed. “This _sucks_. But storms pass, okay? One day - maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the day after - but one day, you’re gonna wake up and it will be sunny again."

Betty didn't know if she believed that, but she needed something to cling to so she didn't feel so hopeless.

“Good" Toni whispered. “Snuggle down, Betty, you haven’t slept in weeks.”

"I'm not tired Toni" her voice was flat again, her stare blank.

“You are" Toni said gently. “Hey, have you spoken to Jughead since you got out - or Veronica?”

Betty shook her head. "I haven't replied to their texts. I told them not to come see me."

"I get that" Toni said gently. "But... maybe it will do you good, seeing them. Not right now... but eventually?"

"Maybe" she shrugged, the vacant look back in her eye.

Toni sighed. “Talk to me...” she prompted, knowing there was so much Betty wasn't saying.

"I feel so.." she shrugged. "Empty. Like nothing makes sense and even if it did, it feels like it wouldn't matter anyway."

“I know" Toni whispered, eerily familiar with the symptoms Betty was describing. “I promise it matters, okay?”

"To you maybe" she sighed. She didn't really know how to make sense of how she was feeling.

“Yeah, to me. And to Cheryl. And Veronica, and Jug. So many people care, okay? I know it’s hard, and so confusing, but we’re here for you... let us in. Let us help."

Betty nodded, turning to look at Toni for a brief moment before her gaze fell back to her lap.

Toni sighed, running her fingers soothingly up and down Betty’s back, ready to let the girl do what she wanted.

"I..I.." she shrugged again. "I don't know what to _do_."

“I know" Toni nodded. “Take it a day at a time... do one thing, and once it’s done, do another. And before you know it, you’ll start feeling better. I promise you will.”

"What do I do now?" She was like a lost puppy.

“Come downstairs with me and have some food" Toni told her. Betty needed guidance. “And then we’ll figure out what to do once you’ve got something in you... it’s probably one of the reasons you feel so sick - hunger.”

"There's no one else here besides Cheryl right?" she was wary.

“Just Cheryl.” Toni assured her. “She won’t hurt you.”

Betty nodded, carefully climbing out of her bed on shaky legs.

“Here... let me help" Toni said, coming around to support her. “I got you.”

Betty leaned her weight heavily against Toni as they headed downstairs together, Betty's anxiety growing again.

“You’re okay" Toni whispered over and over. “I got you...” she looked over at Cheryl, eyes wide. “Look... we're both gonna look after you.”

Betty followed Toni, her limbs shaking again. All she could see when she closed her eyes was the most horrible images that she couldn't seem to escape from.

“Hey... hey" Toni said quickly. “Sit down... sit down. Cher...can you make some tea?” She wanted to make sure that she could do everything for Betty without Cheryl getting jealous.

"Of course" Cheryl watched them both worriedly. She could see how badly Betty has been affected and wanted help.

Betty followed Toni's instructions and sank into the couch.

Toni held her arms out, beckoning the blonde back into her hug.

Betty leaned back into Toni's arms again, not sure how but Toni being the only thing to ground her.

“I got you" Toni reassured her. She looked around for Cheryl, smiling softly when she saw the redhead. “What are you up for Betty? A movie? Sleep? Food?”

"I honestly couldn't tell you" she shrugged again. "Whatever you want is fine with me."

“I’d like you to be happy" Toni smiled. “Hey... let's watch some stupid, funny rom-com... maybe it’ll make us feel something positive again".

"Whatever you want.." Betty was zoning out again, her mind elsewhere. She couldn't bring herself to be in the moment like they could.

“Hey... hey,” Toni said gently. “Look at me... look here.”

Betty looked at Toni's face, her warm orbs meeting Toni's with a small nod.

“Good,” Toni said gently. “Listen to me... it’s okay. You’re okay. Here... try to focus on _now_. Try to ground yourself here with me."

Betty listened to Toni's words, although she felt a little like she was underwater and everything was hazy.

"I got you"Toni said again, knowing it was what Betty needed to hear. "Look at me... _right_ at me, good job... here, feel my arms... focus on me, okay? I'm holding you and I'm not letting go."

Betty clung to Toni like it was the only thing anchoring her to anything. She followed what Toni said, keeping her gaze on Toni's.

"Good... good," Toni smiled at her gently, focussing all her attention on the broken blonde girl in her lap. "You're doing so well... I've got you... shh, you're doing amazing."

"Toni?" Cheryl whispered, putting the tea down beside them and watching her cousin and girlfriend. Toni was so amazing with her, she had never seen Betty look so _broken_. "How can I help?"

"Just wait a minute," Toni said absently, not looking at her girlfriend as she tried to hold Betty's gaze with her own. "Thank you, Cher, you're a wonder." As much as she was focussing on Betty, she didn't want Cheryl to feel excluded, and she let a ghost of a smile light up her lips as her free hand found Cheryl's briefly before returning to the small of Betty's shaking back.

"Okay.." Cheryl could see that Toni was helping Betty and she didn't know what she could add to that. "I'm here cousin" she added, her hand making contact with Betty's arm.  
The new and unexpected contact caused Betty to flinch sharply and pull away from them.

"Hey... hey, shh, you're okay," Toni said, gently pulling Betty back towards her. "You're okay... shh, it's okay, it's just us... you're alright."

Cheryl was so proud of how Toni was handling this, she knew she wouldn't have been able to do so even half as well.

"You're doing really well," Toni promised Betty. "So, so well."

"I..it.." she stuttered again. "It doesn't feel like it."

"I know," Toni soothed. "I promise, you're doing really well... it's gonna take time, but we'll get there. We will."

"How can you be so positive about everything?"

"Because... I have to be," she whispered. "We have to be. To get through this."

"What if we don't get through it? What if I _can't_."

"It feels like that hey?" Toni mused, though her eyes furrowed as they made contact with Cheryl's above Betty's head. "I know you can, Betty Cooper. Because you're so damn strong."

Cheryl met Toni's eyes, she was worried too. "We are here for anything you need okay?"

“ _Anything_ ” Toni agreed.

"You guys are the best, thank you so much."

“Any time..” Toni said gently.

"I know I'm not okay right now" she whispered. "But being with you guys..the way you're so positive Toni. It gives me hope."

Toni’s chest sagged with relief. “You’re gonna be okay,” she repeated. “You are.”

"If you really believe that..maybe I can too."

“I do believe that,” Toni promised her. “We'll get you through this and one day it will all just be a distant memory."

"I wish that day was now."

"I know..but you'll get there and we'll be by your side, every step of the way."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was a little different to what we normally write.
> 
> What did you think? Would you like more like this involving other characters? If so..who? 
> 
> Let us know in the comments below! 
> 
> If you have twitter, you can follow me at: theauthenticme2 I always love chatting to new people!


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